William H. Sylvis
Encyclopedia
William H. Sylvis was a pioneer American trade union
leader. Sylvis is best remembered as a founder of the Iron Molders' International Union and the National Labor Union
, the latter being one of the first American union federations attempting to unite workers of various crafts into a single national organization.
, the second son of Nicholas and Maria Mott Sylvis, native-born Americans of Irish
extraction who each traced their American ancestry back to the pre-revolutionary period. Nicholas' father was a maker of canal boats and repairman of wagons who found great difficulty earning enough money to support his family. During the Panic of 1837
the family's financial situation became particularly grave and young William was sent to live on the homestead of a prosperous neighbor named Pawling, earning his keep there by helping with chores around the farm.
The change of family setting proved beneficial for Sylvis from an educational standpoint, who was taught to read and write by his new employer. Sylvis attended school for the first time at age of 11. He proved to be a voracious reader and took full advantage of the library at the farm estate, owned as it was by a man who had been elected to the Pennsylvania State Assembly.
molding — fabricating products by pouring molten metal into wooden patterns.
In 1851 the 23-year old Sylvis married 15-year old Amelia A. Thomas. The union ultimately produced three sons, who were named after contemporary heroes — Henry Clay
Sylvis, Oliver Perry Sylvis, and Lewis Clark
Sylvis. Following his wife's death in 1865, Sylvis remarried; he ultimately fathered a total of five children.
Sylvis found his way to Philadelphia where he became active in the local trade union
movement, serving as secretary of the Philadelphia molders' union. A spontaneous October 1857 strike over a proposed wage cut in the shop at which he was working was the precipitating event in Sylvis' entry into the labor movement. The shop's workers met and chose William Sylvis as their Secretary, from which sprung the organization which later became Iron-Moulders Union no. 1.
In this capacity Sylvis communicated with other local iron molders' unions with a view to establishing a national organization that could obtain higher wages for molders nationwide. Upon receiving positive feedback, Sylvis circulated a formal convention call to establish such a national organization, with the founding gathering held in Philadelphia on July 5, 1859.
A provisional federation of local molders unions followed, culminating in 1860 with the establishment of the National Union of Iron Molders.
During the American Civil War
Sylvis aided the Union forces, despite having supported Stephen A. Douglas
in the Presidential election of 1860
. Early in the conflict Sylvis recruited a regiment on behalf of the Union Army, although he himself declined the offer of a commission as a 1st Lieutenant due to his wife's vehement objection. Several months later he established a militia
company composed of Philadelphia iron molders, serving as a Sergeant
with the group for several months.
In 1863 Sylvis was elected President of the flagging National Union of Iron Molders, a group which had virtually gone extinct during the wartime years. He subsequently traveled over 10,000 miles on behalf of the union, giving public speeches and organizing union locals. Sylvis persuaded the locals that he visited to bring their often disparate by-laws into conformity with a single national constitution, helping to unite the loose federation of local groups into a more centralized organization, which had changed its name to the Iron Molders' International Union at its 1863 conclave. During the course of his 1863 travels, Sylvis single-handedly formed 19 new molders' locals, reorganized 16 others which had fallen by the wayside after the outbreak of the war in 1861, and helped to solidify 12 more locals. In recognition of his service Sylvis was re-elected head of the union in 1864.
Under Sylvis the Molders' Union reworked its financial system, selling union cards and charters and collecting national dues — actions which managed to place the struggling union on a firm financial basis for the first time. Sylvis also created the union's first national strike fund, generated by a compulsory tax upon the membership.
The trio resolved to hold another planning session in New York City
, to which would be invited other prominent trade union leaders. This March 26, 1866 session was attended by a group of 11 delegates, who set in motion preparations for an August convention to be held in Baltimore, Maryland under the auspices of the Baltimore Trades Assembly. The end result of this preparatory period was the establishment of a new national federation, the National Labor Union
(NLU).
The founding convention of the NLU opened on August 20, 1866. It was attended by 60 delegates, representing 43 local trade unions, 11 trade assemblies, 4 Eight-hour Leagues, and two national or international unions. Ironically, William Sylvis, arguably the founding father of the organization, was unable to attend the gathering due to illness. While Sylvis carefully followed the work of the five day convention, he was critical of its work, declaring that it had build a "splendid track, placed upon it a locomotive complete in all its parts; provided an engineer and numerous assistants, placed them upon the footboard, told them to go ahead and then suddenly adjourned without providing wood or water to get up steam..."
During this interval Sylvis did not work as a trade union functionary, instead entering the world of journalism as co-editor of the Chicago broadsheet Workingman's Advocate, regarded as the most influential labor newspaper of the day. Thinking broadly about prospects for the labor movement as a vehicle to drive political policy, Sylvis came to see the NLU as a potential vehicle for social and economic reform, including the establishment of producer cooperatives
, the 8-hour work day, and currency reform.
Sylvis was elected president of the NLU at its third convention, held in New York City in August 1868. He also authored the organization's platform adopted at that gathering. By this juncture Sylvis had become an advocate of international organization of the working class through the vehicle of the International Workingmen's Association
, the so-called "First International." He also declared that neither of the old political parties truly represented the interests of the working class
and sought to transform the NLU into a workingmen's political party.
Death at an early age intervened, however, and Sylvis's vision of a broad and powerful National Labor Union and its associated National Reform Party ultimately came to naught.
In 1990 the state of Pennsylvania
honored Sylvis with the dedication of a historical marker at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
in Indiana, Pennsylvania
.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader. Sylvis is best remembered as a founder of the Iron Molders' International Union and the National Labor Union
National Labor Union
The National Labor Union was the first national labor federation in the United States. Founded in 1866 and dissolved in 1873, it paved the way for other organizations, such as the Knights of Labor and the AF of L . It was led by William H...
, the latter being one of the first American union federations attempting to unite workers of various crafts into a single national organization.
Early years
William H. Sylvis was born in 1828 in the borough of Armagh, PennsylvaniaArmagh, Pennsylvania
Armagh is a borough in Indiana County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 131 at the 2000 census.-History:Armagh is the oldest non-Indian community in Indiana County, having been founded in 1792 by eight families led by James and Margaret Jane Graham from the area now known as...
, the second son of Nicholas and Maria Mott Sylvis, native-born Americans of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
extraction who each traced their American ancestry back to the pre-revolutionary period. Nicholas' father was a maker of canal boats and repairman of wagons who found great difficulty earning enough money to support his family. During the Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis or market correction in the United States built on a speculative fever. The end of the Second Bank of the United States had produced a period of runaway inflation, but on May 10, 1837 in New York City, every bank began to accept payment only in specie ,...
the family's financial situation became particularly grave and young William was sent to live on the homestead of a prosperous neighbor named Pawling, earning his keep there by helping with chores around the farm.
The change of family setting proved beneficial for Sylvis from an educational standpoint, who was taught to read and write by his new employer. Sylvis attended school for the first time at age of 11. He proved to be a voracious reader and took full advantage of the library at the farm estate, owned as it was by a man who had been elected to the Pennsylvania State Assembly.
Iron molder
In 1846 the 18-year old Sylvis left the farmstead to learn the trade of ironIron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
molding — fabricating products by pouring molten metal into wooden patterns.
In 1851 the 23-year old Sylvis married 15-year old Amelia A. Thomas. The union ultimately produced three sons, who were named after contemporary heroes — Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
Sylvis, Oliver Perry Sylvis, and Lewis Clark
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
Sylvis. Following his wife's death in 1865, Sylvis remarried; he ultimately fathered a total of five children.
Sylvis found his way to Philadelphia where he became active in the local trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
movement, serving as secretary of the Philadelphia molders' union. A spontaneous October 1857 strike over a proposed wage cut in the shop at which he was working was the precipitating event in Sylvis' entry into the labor movement. The shop's workers met and chose William Sylvis as their Secretary, from which sprung the organization which later became Iron-Moulders Union no. 1.
In this capacity Sylvis communicated with other local iron molders' unions with a view to establishing a national organization that could obtain higher wages for molders nationwide. Upon receiving positive feedback, Sylvis circulated a formal convention call to establish such a national organization, with the founding gathering held in Philadelphia on July 5, 1859.
A provisional federation of local molders unions followed, culminating in 1860 with the establishment of the National Union of Iron Molders.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Sylvis aided the Union forces, despite having supported Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
in the Presidential election of 1860
United States presidential election, 1860
The United States presidential election of 1860 was a quadrennial election, held on November 6, 1860, for the office of President of the United States and the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout the 1850s on questions surrounding the...
. Early in the conflict Sylvis recruited a regiment on behalf of the Union Army, although he himself declined the offer of a commission as a 1st Lieutenant due to his wife's vehement objection. Several months later he established a militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
company composed of Philadelphia iron molders, serving as a Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
with the group for several months.
In 1863 Sylvis was elected President of the flagging National Union of Iron Molders, a group which had virtually gone extinct during the wartime years. He subsequently traveled over 10,000 miles on behalf of the union, giving public speeches and organizing union locals. Sylvis persuaded the locals that he visited to bring their often disparate by-laws into conformity with a single national constitution, helping to unite the loose federation of local groups into a more centralized organization, which had changed its name to the Iron Molders' International Union at its 1863 conclave. During the course of his 1863 travels, Sylvis single-handedly formed 19 new molders' locals, reorganized 16 others which had fallen by the wayside after the outbreak of the war in 1861, and helped to solidify 12 more locals. In recognition of his service Sylvis was re-elected head of the union in 1864.
Under Sylvis the Molders' Union reworked its financial system, selling union cards and charters and collecting national dues — actions which managed to place the struggling union on a firm financial basis for the first time. Sylvis also created the union's first national strike fund, generated by a compulsory tax upon the membership.
Organizing the National Labor Union
In February 1866 Sylvis set his sites on the establishment of an organization that was broader still — a federation of unions which would be able to bring workers of different crafts together under a single organizational umbrella. Sylvis joined William Harding, president of the Coach Makers' International Union and Jonathan Fincher, head of the Machinists and Blacksmiths Union at a Philadelphia meeting to discuss the organization of such a national labor federation.The trio resolved to hold another planning session in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, to which would be invited other prominent trade union leaders. This March 26, 1866 session was attended by a group of 11 delegates, who set in motion preparations for an August convention to be held in Baltimore, Maryland under the auspices of the Baltimore Trades Assembly. The end result of this preparatory period was the establishment of a new national federation, the National Labor Union
National Labor Union
The National Labor Union was the first national labor federation in the United States. Founded in 1866 and dissolved in 1873, it paved the way for other organizations, such as the Knights of Labor and the AF of L . It was led by William H...
(NLU).
The founding convention of the NLU opened on August 20, 1866. It was attended by 60 delegates, representing 43 local trade unions, 11 trade assemblies, 4 Eight-hour Leagues, and two national or international unions. Ironically, William Sylvis, arguably the founding father of the organization, was unable to attend the gathering due to illness. While Sylvis carefully followed the work of the five day convention, he was critical of its work, declaring that it had build a "splendid track, placed upon it a locomotive complete in all its parts; provided an engineer and numerous assistants, placed them upon the footboard, told them to go ahead and then suddenly adjourned without providing wood or water to get up steam..."
During this interval Sylvis did not work as a trade union functionary, instead entering the world of journalism as co-editor of the Chicago broadsheet Workingman's Advocate, regarded as the most influential labor newspaper of the day. Thinking broadly about prospects for the labor movement as a vehicle to drive political policy, Sylvis came to see the NLU as a potential vehicle for social and economic reform, including the establishment of producer cooperatives
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
, the 8-hour work day, and currency reform.
Sylvis was elected president of the NLU at its third convention, held in New York City in August 1868. He also authored the organization's platform adopted at that gathering. By this juncture Sylvis had become an advocate of international organization of the working class through the vehicle of the International Workingmen's Association
International Workingmen's Association
The International Workingmen's Association , sometimes called the First International, was an international organization which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, communist and anarchist political groups and trade union organizations that were based on the working class...
, the so-called "First International." He also declared that neither of the old political parties truly represented the interests of the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
and sought to transform the NLU into a workingmen's political party.
Death at an early age intervened, however, and Sylvis's vision of a broad and powerful National Labor Union and its associated National Reform Party ultimately came to naught.
Death and legacy
William Sylvis died in 1869. He was just 41 years old at the time of his death.In 1990 the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
honored Sylvis with the dedication of a historical marker at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
in Indiana, Pennsylvania
Indiana, Pennsylvania
Indiana is a borough in and the county seat of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,895 at the 2000 census.The borough and the region as a whole promotes itself as the "Christmas Tree Capital of the World" because the national Christmas Tree Grower's Association was...
.
Works
- The Life, Speeches, Labors and Essays of William H. Sylvis: Late President of the Iron-Moulders' International Union; and also of the National Labor Union. James C. Sylvis, ed. Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen and Haffelfinger, 1872.
Further reading
- Gerald G. Eggert, The Iron Industry in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical Association, 1994.
- Jonathan P. Grossman, William Sylvis, Pioneer of American Labor: A Study of the Labor Movement during the Era of the Civil War. New York: Columbia University Press, 1945.
- Reed C. Richardson, Labor Leaders, 1860's. Ithaca: New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, 1955.
- Charlotte Todes, William H. Sylvis and the National Labor Union. New York: International Publishers, 1942.